The 24th IUPAC International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE 2016) was held from 15 to 20 August 2016 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Sarawak with support from the Institut Kimia Malaysia (IKM), Jabatan Kimia Malaysia (JKM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (RECSAM) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARC). The conference was aimed at promoting communication and collaboration among chemists. With the clear aim spelt out, this conference was seconded by the Malaysian government, especially the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) under the favourable auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

The opening ceremony was officiated by YB Datuk Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Local Government Sarawak. Included among the invited guests were Tuan Haji Ismail Bin Talib, the Director General of JKM and Mdm Hasnah Binti Hussin, the Deputy Director General (Operation) of JKM. A total of 2 presenters and 12 participants from JKM Headquarters, Sabah and Sarawak branch laboratories attended the event. All JKM officers displayed high commitment in making the conference a success. In fact, Dr. Seah Lay Hong, Director of JKM Kuching Branch and Dr. Malarvili Ramalingam, senior officer from JKM Headquarters who assumed the role of organizing committee and 3 other volunteer officers from JKM Kuching Branch had helped augment the effectiveness of the event.

Under the theme of “Chemistry Education sustaining socio-economic transformation”, ICCE 2016 comprising 13 thematic sessions, 7 symposia, workshops and forums offered a great space for experts to deliver state-of-the-art knowledge and skills. More importantly, it exposed JKM participants to the current technology advancements and innovation harboured by professionals in such fields as chemical science education, laboratory chemistry, green chemistry, environmental chemistry, Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Chemical Safety and Security (CSS). Besides, the conference served as an international platform to facilitate cross-border networking with over 500 participants. A more rewarding outcome is that, the event has indirectly formed a brain trust that will certainly create more professional collaborations at the national and global levels.

The list of presenters from JKM in technical session of General Chemistry is as follows:

No

Name

Presentation Title

1.

Mr. Azharuddin bin Abd. Aziz

Research and Quality Assurance Division, JKM Headquarters

Discrimination between Basmati and Non-Basmati Rice Using Stable Isotope Ratio and Chemometric Analyses

2.

Ms. Fathiah Binti Ahmad Zubaidi

Forensic Division, JKM Headquarters

Liquid Chromatographic Tandem Mass Spectrometer Method for the Determination of Common Drugs of Abuse and an Approach in Evaluating Dried Blood Stain (DBS) Sample Stability for Forensic Toxicology Cases in Malaysia

Well done all presenters!

ICCE 2016 was officiated by the Honourable Minister of Local Government Sarawak, YB Datuk Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian.

Tuan Haji Ismail bin Talib, Director General of Department of Chemistry with the participants